As children develop they become more independent, wanting to actually walk up and down the stairs like an adult, even if the adult does not feel they are ready. A family's main concern with young children and stairs in the home is the possibility of a child falling down the stairs. Child safety gates are used to prevent children from access to the stairs, but once the gate is opened the stairs are unsafe. The standard handrail is not positioned in a suitable height to accommodate children. Children in most danger of falling down the stairs are those in the zero-to-four year old age group; children of those ages seem to suffer the most severe injuries.
Handrails' for children are known in the prior art. Some have simple connections between the two rails, others are more complicated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,854, issued on Apr. 3, 2001, to Mark A. Sedlack and William M. Miller, describes a suspended stair railing which uses four web-like connector brackets, each having a cylindrical body portion at the bottom and a broadened head portion at the top. The top of the connector bracket is attached to the existing handrail by a cable tie, and by screws to the lower rail. Sedlack requires no less than eight cable ties, eight screws, four connector brackets plus a plurality of tubes. Sedlack does not use releasable cable ties.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,166, issued on Dec. 29, 1998, to Kim J. Koza describes a handrail assembly for children using clamping devices and telescoping rods. Several alternative embodiments are disclosed. However, each embodiment uses screws and many other components. Koza states his handrail assembly can be quickly disassembled. This is a cause for concern since a child may find it easy to disengage the child's handrail assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,528, issued on Aug. 16, 1994, to Frank Jaworski, Sabrina Jansen and Wayne Jaworski describes a child assist rail and support system which uses a rigid suspension element, a flexible strap and a locking buckle. A cinching element at one end of the suspension element is operative to place tension on the suspension strap after it has been inserted through the buckle and the buckle operated to secure the strap. A channel into which an auxiliary rail is received is at the other end of the suspension element. The strap is positioned around the auxiliary rail and into the buckle such that when the buckle is operated to tighten the strap around the handrail and auxiliary rail, the cinching element places tension on the strap. The buckle requires a setscrew to operate and maintain the strap in a fixed relationship with the buckle.
Jaworski et al. requires several components such as a cinching element and operational buckle for tightening and placing tension on the strap, and also requires screws to carry out the invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,100, issued on Aug. 14, 1990, to Larry L. Stevens describes a stair rail for toddlers that uses heart-shaped mounting brackets that are secured to the flight of stairs by the use of bolts and screws. Stevens does not attach to a standard mounted handrail. He uses mounting brackets, bolts and screws to carry out the invention which will require repairing the screw holes when the stair rail is removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,201, issued on Dec. 3, 1985, to Robert M. Turner describes a handrail for toddlers using a set of elongated rails and support brackets which are permanently connected to the mounted handrail and the lower handrail using a flat metal plate, screws or bolts. Turner is complicated, requiring the removal of the existing handrail in order to be installed and disassembled. The use of screws or bolts will cause damage to the existing handrail and will require repairing the holes when removed.
There is a need for an improved child's handrail that uses an all-inclusive rail coupling arrangement that is stronger, easy to affix and does not require the use of bolts, screws or brackets.
Therefore, there remains in the art a need for an improved child's handrail to assist children when ambulating the stairs.